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Sunday, February 28, 2016

Sun and Moon appeared in Halifax today - at opposite ends of the harbour.

This morning the Asian Moon made its first appearance for Nirint Lines when it berthed at pier 30. Dating from 2006, it is a product of Jiangdong Shipbuilding in Wuhu, China. At 9,956 grt and 13,670 dwt it has a capacity of 1118 TEU, achieved in part by stacking six high on deck. It carries a pair of 45 tonne cranes.

The ship off loaded its hatch covers today to be ready to start work Monday morning with another cargo of nickel sulfides from Cuba.

Early this afternoon the Warnow Sun arrived at Pier 9C. Running for Atlantic RoRo Carriers Inc [ARCC] , it is not a RoRo. As the line gradually sheds its Astrakhan class ConRos, they are being replaced by ships such as this one. A 22,863 grt, 33,107 dwt general cargo ship, it carries four 60 tonne cranes and has large box shaped holds, that are reinforced for heavy cargoes, but can be fitted for containers, up to a capacity of 1158 TEU.

It was built in 2010 by Zhejian Ouhu Shipyard in Zhoushan, China and operates for the St.Petersberg, Russia based ARCC, (but with its address as Hoboken, NJ). The ship is on a form of lease/purchase charter from Schiffahrtskontor Warnow of Germany. [The Astrakhans were built by Warnowerft in Warnemunde.]

At Pier 9C J.D.Irving Ltd had set up their 300 tonne capacity Manitowoc crane to handle a heavy lift from the ship. Whatever it is, it will be landed on a rail car [QTTX 131331) with a 468,800 lb capacity. This is the first time that a railcar loading has been made at the new Pier 9C, but that was one of the reasons the new pier was built - to avoid congestion at pier 30. The Asian Moon - pictured above will also be loading into rail cars.

Friday, February 26, 2016

A military ceremony today recognized the 25th anniversary of the liberation of Kuwait. The Gulf War - it was then called the Persian Gulf, but is now more frequently called the Arabian Gulf, saw Canada participating in a war for the first time in a generation.
The RCN hastily updated three ships and in a major send off August 24, 1990 they sailed from Halifax. The waterfront was lined with spectators and well wishers and the harbour was choked with pleasure craft. The skies were also busy with numerous Sea Kings flying off.

HMCS Athabaskan, Terra Nova and Protecteur sailed from Halifax August 24, 1990. Note the bow gun has reappeared on Protecteur , It had been removed due to its exposed position when it was damaged by high seas.

Thursday, February 25, 2016

Despite hideous weather conditions of driving rain and gusty high winds, the crew of Slotergracht were able to lift off the trawler O-156 this morning.
However lift on of the high speed catamaran tour boat Famille Dufour II had not taken place by late afternoon as the conditions persisted. That may happen tomorrow.

As reported yesterday, O-156 arrived on deck from Europe, returning from seven years fishing out of Ostend Belgium. Now at pier 30, it will be handed over the new owners in Goulds, NL.

Wednesday, February 24, 2016

The decommissioned former HMCS Protecteur is underway from Esquimalt BC, bound for Liverpool, NS where it will be broken up by R.J.MacIsaac Construction Ltd. It suffered serious fire damage while returning from Hawaii February 27, 2014. It had been expected to pay off in 2017, but instead was decommissioned May 14, 2015.

Sailing from Halifax August 3, 1987, HMCS Protecteur was an impressive ship. It was transferred to the west coast in 1993.

The ship is not traveling under its own power but is in tow of the American tug Corbin Foss. The tug is no stranger to towing old warships. It was responsible for the successful tow of the former USN aircraft carrier Constellation from Bremerton WA to Brownsville TX just over a year ago.

The tug is giving an ETA of March 17 at Balboa, Panama. It is interesting to speculate on what will happen then. I would have thought that a tow from British Columbia to Nova Scotia would be considered a coastal tow, and require a Canadian tug. Maybe a stopover in Panama or a US port would break that chain, or maybe Corbin Foss will tow it all the way. Stay tuned on St.Patrick's Day.

With the arrival of Slotergracht this morning there are two Spleithoff "S" class ships in port at the same time. By this time the first ship Singelgracht would have been on its way, but it is still submitting to the attentions of Dominion Diving, whose boat was awaiting for it on arrival and has been alongside ever since.Some underwater repair may be going on, and if so it is not visible to this set of eyes.

The versatile "S" series ships, as previously reported can carry all sorts of cargo, and have cranes and heavy hatch covers to accommodate odd deck cargoes.See February 22

Slotergracht is living up to its reputation by carrying the stern trawler O-156. The 65 foot compiste aluminum / reinforced plastic boat was built in 2003 by TWL Enterprises Ltd of Trinity, NL as Fundy Commander. It fished out of southwestern Nova Scotia primarily from Digby until 2009.

At that time a pair of Dutch brothers from Urk, Netherlands bought the boat and after a three week Atlantic crossing at a blistering 8.5 knots, reached their new home port of Ostend, Belgium. After refitting the boat to European standards, they renamed it O-156 Maaretje-Alte and went fishing off Denmark, landing some of their catch in the Netherlands and some in Ostend. (The O in the boat's name stands for Ostend.)

In June of 2015 the boat was reported en route to Horta in the Azores, and seems to have remained there. On September 29 it was re-registered in Canada (in Yarmouth, NS) and renamed O-156 and classed as a pleasure craft. The new owner is a numbered company based in Goulds, NL.
Spliethoff's offer yacht transport as part of their regular business,but this boat is pure working trawler, although reportedly finished inside to a very high quality.
If it is to be unloaded in Halifax, there will be a wait as two days of high winds and driving rain are predicted.

Tuesday, February 23, 2016

When the Panama flag chemical tanker Sichem Mumbai anchored in number one anchorage today to take on bunkers, it would have been easily ignored were it not for the unfortunately brilliant green stripe painted around its superstructure. (Just around the arm pits, it the bridge wings can be thought of as arms).
Operating for the 40 chemical tanker strong Team Tankers International Ltd [TTI] fleet (formerly Eitzen Chemical) the ship was built in 2006 by 21st Century Shipbuilding Co of Tongyeong, South Korea. The 8562 grt, 13.085 dwt ship has epoxy coated tanks, which allow it to carry certain types of chemicals (other ships in the fleet have stainless steel tanks for other sorts of products).

Up until recently the ship was painted in a conventional way with a red hull, white superstructure and blue funnel. It acquired a TT logo when Eitzen morphed into TTI in 2015. The green stripe appears to be a rebranding of the Bermuda based TTI (that is in reality Norwegian and listed on the Oslo Stock Exchange), but has so far not gotten around to changing the funnel to green. The ship itself is owned by Toda Kisen KK of Japan and is on finance lease to TTI.

The ship arrived from wintery La Baie, on the Saguenay River,and still has some frozen spray on its deck, and is heading to balmy Key West - probably for orders.

Monday, February 22, 2016

The Netherlands flag general cargo ship Singelgracht put in for bunkers this afternoon, but it will have to wait for a while. The bunkering tanker Algoma Dartmouth left Halifax Saturday for point Tupper to load and is not due back in port until tomorrow.

Singelgracht is one of the 14 strong 'S' class built for Spliethoff's by Mitsubishi, Shomonoseki. This one dates from 2001 and measures 16,641 grt, 21,402 dwt. It carries three cranes of maximum 120 tonne capacity, and has removable tween decks. It is also fitted with five sideloading elevators, located on the starboard side - it is the housings for those elevators that look like containers on deck. The 16 tonne capacity elevator platforms are used to load paper rolls or other types of cargo, without opening the ship's hatches.
See the ship's spec sheet and a video: http://www.spliethoff.com/fleet/s-type/

As the ferry Woodside I scoots around the ship's stern, Singelgracht's exhaust scrubber system is visible in close up. The ship has been fitted with the scrubber so that it can continue to use heavy fuel, hence the need for Algoma Dartmouth to go to Point Tupper to top up. Judging by the exhaust plume from the ship's funnel - it looks like it could use a bit more scrubbing!

Saturday, February 20, 2016

The K-Line autocarrier Fremantle Highway was in and out of Autoport today, effortlessly unloading a cargo of fresh Mercedes, BMW, Mini and Audi cars. Unlike last winter when Autoport had thousands of cars frozen in up the door handles in some cases, this year the entire facility is ice and snow free. Thanks to several days of mild weather what snow there was has disappeared.
Winter isn't over yet, but so far it has been all systems go at Autoport this year.

A grey day for a grey ship, but with temperatures well above the freezing point, it is only rain that threatens. Fremantle Highway was built in 2013 by Imabari Zosen in Marugame, Japan and measures 59,525 grt, 18,549 dwt. It is owned by Shoei Kisen Kaisha, and is on charter to K-Line's large auto carrier fleet.

Friday, February 19, 2016

The ship is sailing under a Canadian coasting license for Irving Oil,. Unable to find a suitable Canadian tankers to carry Hibernia crude oil from Whiffen Head to Canaport, Saint John, NB, Irving applied to the Canadian Transportation Agency to use foreign ships.
Earlier this month it was the British Cygnet that made one trip carrying 675,000 bbls of crude and before the end of the month Afra Oak will make two trips - 700,000 bbls on the first and 675,000 bbl on the second.

Afra Oak was built as British Oak in 2003 and sailed for BP tankers until 2013 when ownership passed to Hellenic
Tankers Co Ltd of Athens and it was placed under the commercial management of the large Navig8 tanker
pool. The 57,567 grt, 106,395 dwt ship was built by Tsuneishi shipyard
in Tadotsu Japan.

Canadian cabotage regulations specify that if no suitable Canadian vessel is available, the the Minister of Pubic Safety and Emergency Preparedness may issue a coasting license to a foreign vessel. When it comes right down to it, most Canadian crude oil tankers are booked months if not years ahead and are often in dedicated service to other oil companies. Since Irving no longer has crude oil tankers of its own, it is pretty much free to get a coasting license any time they need want.

Cabotage laws are intended to protect the Canadian shipping business from unfair foreign competition, but it is hard to so how it does so. Temporary coasting licenses are granted continually because there are no suitable Canadian ships available. Companies like Irving Oil apparently can't afford to have a Canadian tanker standing by all the time, nor can a Canadian tanker compete on the open market.
That leads to a situation like the Afra Oak, where Irving Oil applied for a coasting license on February 8, the Canadian Transportation Agency made their determination that no suitable Canadian tanker was available and submitted it to the Minister February 16, for a coasting license to start February 17, and have the tanker immediately available.It is highly unlikely that any suitable Canadian ship could ever be available on that short notice. Afra Oak became available after it unloaded another cargo of crude at Canaport yesterday.

It is unlikely than any Canadian shipowner could or would make a business case for a crude tanker without secure long term contracts (even with the elimination of duties on foreign built ships.). Thus spot coasting licenses will always be needed. Canadian seafarers are the real losers in this equation, since there will be fewer jobs for them unless cabotage laws are tightened. In this day of free trade and elimination of tarifs even the cabotage law we have will soon be history.

One of the only countries still carrying stiff cabotage laws is our neighbour to the south. The Jones Act in the United States contains cabotage provisions, among many others, and is so pervasive that it is a way of life and unlikely to change any time soon. It is not an ideal arrangement either and has its critics. It has resulted in a lot of old ships running domestically when replacements should have been built years before.

The various media outlets are reporting that Ambassatours, owners of seven harbour tour boats and numerous amphibians will be replacing two veterans of the fleet.

Haligonian III will be replaced for the upcoming tourist season.

Passing the old Point Pleasant breakwater inbound in 1973, Haligonian III was originally painted all white.

Built by Hike Metal Products in Wheatley, ON in 1972 for Halifax Water Tours Ltd it has worked in the harbour since new. When Murphy's took over the harbour tours, this was the boat that built the business.

Although upgraded over the years, the boat is showing signs of age.

With a passenger capacity of 195, it will be replaced in May with a newer vessel (as yet unspecified, but I can guess) with a capacity of 200.

The sailing vessel Mar will be replaced for the 2017 season by another "tall ship" that is currently flying the US flag.

Mar was built in 1957 in Denmark and has a capacity of 45 passengers. It was renamed Mar II when acquired by Murphy's Sailing Tours Ltd.

After going adrift September 28-29, 2003 in Hurricane Juan (with crew aboard) Mar II was cast up on the McAsphalt jetty (then called Dook's Dock) in Eastern Passage. It was repaired and returned to service, and was renamed Mar again.

Both of the current boats are listed for sale with non-compete clauses, so they will be leaving Halifax if they remain as tour boats.

Most of the Ambassatours fleet is shown in a previous post: http://shipfax.blogspot.ca/2015/12/holiday-catch-up.html
Missing from that photo was Theodore Too, which is spending the winter in Dayspring, NS at Snyder's Shipyard, and Peggys Cove Express a 44 foot fast Cape Island type boat.

There may also be additions to the Harbour Hopper fleet of amphibious tour boat./ buses, with Ambassatours' acquisition of more hulls for rebuild.

Thursday, February 18, 2016

Canadian shipbuilders have their knickers seriously knotted once again as they have come out strongly in favour of a review of the National Shipbuilding Procurement Strategy and strongly against possible foreign built tugs for the Canadian navy.

First, to be clear this is the Shipbuilding Association of Canada speaking out. Its aim is "to promote the interests of the Canadian shipbuilding ship repair and industrial marine industry". It has three classes of members: Shipyard Members (shipyards with more than 100 employees), Associate Shipyard Members (less than 100 employees) and Associate Industry Members (generally equipment and material suppliers). The shipyard definition is loose enough to include repair and other facilities that do not actually build ships and never could. It also does not include Canada's largest shipbuilder, Irving Shipbuilding Inc (ISI).

So it is an industry promotion group, which seemingly does not approve of non-members, such as ISI, getting a big chunk of the NSPS work. As I recall it was this same group that threw in the towel on commercial shipbuilding in Canada many years ago and called for the government of the day to get its act together on rebuilding the navy and Coast Guard. Which it did.

As costs rose (no surprise) the government started to cut back on the number of ships to be built, instead of several alternatives. So it is time to straighten out that mess.

A new shipyard was needed in order to build the combat ships and arctic offshore patrol ships.

However the SAC seems to resent the fact that none of its members was able to build a warship, and the government had to step in and finance the building of a new yard to do the job. When it came down to it, the NSPS was only able to find two yards in all of Canada that had any amount of expertise and financial wherewithal (or courage) in the type of shipbuilding necessary to build naval and Coast Guard vessels, and even they needed huge upgrades to build the types of ships needed.

What was deemed a sunset uindustry was rescued from oblivion by the NSPS.

That the SAC is headed up by a retired Vice-Admiral is no coincidence. Naval shipbuilding is the only game in town, and the SAC members now want a bigger part of the pie. Sounds like a sour grape pie to me.

I welcome a review of the NSPS, but only if it can find the means to deliver the desired ships in a timely way and with cost control. No naval shipbuilding program in the world can currently deliver a ship to an unknown design, on time and based on ten year old budgets, so a dose of reality is needed.

As to the rumour that the navy may acquire tugs built overseas, that is an interesting speculation. Certainly there are Canadian yards that can build tugs for the Canadian navy, and they can do so at a 30% to 50% premium above what foreign yards can deliver. The SAC is right that building tugs offshore is no way to promote a Canadian shipbuilding industry. But do we need another heavily subsidized industry in this country? If it's not planes, then it is tugs, then what? Every non-competitive industry in the country will have its hands out.

As I have stated before in this blog and on Tugfax there are ways to deliver tugs to the Canadian navy in a sustainable and planned way, using Canadian shipbuilders. But if the navy insists on replacing all its tugs, all at once - again - then I fear Canadian yards may be out of luck. Or they will end up assembling kits from foreign suppliers, and that is hardly a way to promote a sustainable Canadian industry.

It is interesting that Serco Denholm, which provides tug service to the Royal Navy has ordered a big tug to berth aircraft carriers at Portsmouth, and it is coming from the Netherland's Damen shipyard. An ART (advanced rotor tug with three azimuthing drives and three engines and 80 tonne bollard pull), it is a proprietary design, developed by the Canadian naval architecture firm of Robert Allen Ltd and built by the the world's dominant tug builder.

The Rotor tug with two drives forward and one aft is highly maneuverable, with great redundancy and can operate on one, two or three engines as needed without sophisticated and costly secondary systems.

Although the Serco Denholm tug is much more powerful than what the Canadian navy needs, the ROTOR type would be very effective for the RCN in an available smaller version. The fact that it is a proprietary design of the Dutch tug operator Kotug, and built only under license, may explain why the rumour is out there about foreign build.

Built in 1993 by Hyundai, Ulsan the 6544 grt, 9170 dwt ice strengthened tanker made its first appearance here in 1998 under its original name Natalie Sif. It was renamed in 1999 when original owners KIL Shipping sold it to Alvtank Rederi of Sweden and renamed Nanny. When Woodward Group acquired the ship in 2008 they did not rename it, hence its unusual name.

The fourth residential tower of the King's Wharf development, on the site of the old Dartmouth Marine Slips, forms the background as Nanny glides across the ferry track.

North Atlantic Petroleum, operators of the Come-by-Chance refinery, have recently begun to process US shale oil and crude from the White Rose field. Previously they only used foreign petroleum to meet demand for low sulphur fuel. They supplied Newfoundland's domestic needs for gasoline and furnace oil, but apparently have decided to expand to the mainland, with what I assume is furnace oil, but may also be gasoline and diesel.

Blue Ship #2
Later this afternoon the general cargo ship BBC Louisiana put in at pier 30-31. A member of the large BBC chartering fleet of Bockstiegel Reederei headquartered in Emden, Germany, it is one of twelve ships in its class. All measure 9618 grt, 12,763 dwt and carry two 150 tonne cranes than can combine for a 300 tonne lift.

BBC Louisiana appears to be in ballast, so may load some special cargo in Halifax. but has some machinery components to unload.

The ship was built in 2008 by Jiangdong Shipyard in Wuhu, China and flies the Antigua and Barbuda flag, with port of registry St.John's, Antigua.

Tuesday, February 16, 2016

ESPS Patino was due to sail at 1000 this morning with other ships of the RCN to participate in exercises with the USN. That has now been changed to Wednesday afternoon.The two month charter from Spain will allow the RCN a degree of self-sufficiency which they would not have otherwise.

Patino arriving Friday, is built to a Dutch design.

Expect more arrangements like this in the future while the RCN attempts to keep maintain capabilities in replenishment at sea until Resolve is delivered in 2017.

That ship, the former container ship Asterix, is in conversion at Davie Quebec to be a temporary RCN supply ship for five years, with an option for a further five years! There was a temporary hiccup as the new Liberal government second guessed the Conservative decision to award the work to Davie as a single source, but work is under way again.

Patino usually carries three SeaKing helicopters, but can accommodate five, with hangar space for two.

Work on the Queenston class supply ships may start at Seaspan Vancouver this year, or maybe next year as the Ship Procurement Program stumbles along from one crisis to another.
The first of those new ships, Queenston will not be delivered before 2021 at the earliest with Chateauguay following by a year or more. The usual time from keel laying to commissioning is five years, but could be longer for the first ship of its class. Since it is based on a German design, one could hope it will be simpler than starting from scratch.

Saturday, February 13, 2016

You have until February 15 to participate in the latest Name the Ferry contest. The winning name will be "submitted to Transport Canada" for approval and if accepted will be assigned to the third and last of the new Halifax Transit harbour ferries.

The first two new harbour ferries in 2013 and 2015 were named in the same manner. City Council winnowed down the suggestions (this time from more than 200 to five), then invited the public to vote by on-line survey.

The name Christopher Stannix was chosen by contest in 2013.

First let me say I have no quibble with the process and I certainly have no doubt that the first two ferries were named for worthy persons. Similarly the five choices for the current contest are all worthy of civic if not greater recognition.

Craig Blake was the second ferry to be named by contest.

However what I really wish is that Council in their great wisdom had redressed the balance this time. One would think that there was nothing here before the European settlement of Halifax 267 years ago, and that since then mostly males of European ancestry had occupied the place.

I would like to have seen the current list restricted to persons with some of the following qualifications (and in no particular order):

females

indigenous persons

persons of ancestry other than European

persons who may not have been adequately recognized in their lifetimes

How is it that among sixteen selected names (fifteen persons) over three contests they could find only find thirteen different names and only three women? (I also assume the European-ness of all the males named.)

Poor old Halifax explosion telegraphist Vincent Coleman has been nominated in each of the three contests but only received 18% of the vote in 2013. I wonder why he has been included in the third contest? Does Council have an agenda with the 100th anniversary of the explosion coming up?

I have voted and you can perhaps guess who I voted for, and I suggest you do too.

Friday, February 12, 2016

After a fairly quiet period, there is tanker activity in Halifax again.

A string of auto racks line a siding that runs through Imperial Oil and ends up at Autoport.

(February 11 photo)

Yesterday Petalouda arrived at Imperial Oil dock 3. The 26,913 grt, 47,322 dwt ship was built in 2008 by Onomichi Zosen and flies the Bahamas flag for Samos Steamship Co of Athens.

BW Cougar in Bedford Basin.

(February 6 photo)

The BW Cougar, which arrived February 4 and was sitting at anchor in Bedford Basin moved to number 4 oil dock this morning. It was built in 2014 as Eleanora Cougar by SPP Shipbuilding Co of Goseong, South Korea. It measures 29,737 grt, 49,999 dwt and is owned by BW Group Ltd of Bermuda, but flies the Singapore flag.

Four tankers in one photo, with Gotland Carolina in the middle, and Algoma Dartmouth alongside.

Then later this morning the Gotland Carolina arrived in ballast and anchored at number one anchorage in the lower harbour for bunkers. The 29,283 grt, 53,160 dwt ship dates from 2006 when it was completed by Guangzhou International in China. It is also Bahamas flag for Hafnia Management of Hellerup, Denmark. It has called in Halifax several times and is also a frequent winter visitor to Montreal and Quebec.
It was here January 7, 2015 also for bunkers, but was fully loaded, and November 20-22, 2015 at Imperial Oil.

It has also been a quiet time for the bunkering tanker Algoma Dartmouth which had not strayed from its base at pier 34 for weeks.

The Spanish naval replenishment ship ESPS Patino arrived this morning at HMC Dockyard. The ship will assist the Canadian Navy in upcoming TGEX-216 exercises with the USN, since we no longer have any support ships that can put to sea.

There will be 35 Canadian crew on the ship during the 2 month period. They will be training in various aspects of replenishment at sea.

Patino was built in 1995 and carries 9,000 cu.m. of fuel, which can be transferred at sea, in addition to large quantities of stores, equipment and ammunition. It also has hospital facilities and a helicopter landing deck.

Thursday, February 11, 2016

The heavy lift ship Palmerton unloaded its cargo of gas pipe at Pier 9C and sailed this afternoon. Its twin 450 tonne Liebherr cranes (which can combine for a 900 tonne lift) were not tested with this cargo, but its box shaped single hold was suitable for carrying these 40 foot long components.
Its utilitarian occupation is in contrast to its elegant superstructure, with a projecting lounge - which might be quite exciting in bad weather - and an almost full width wheelhouse with a walk around bridge.

Built in 2009 by Taizhou Kouan Shipbuidling Co in Taizhou, China the 11,474 grt, 10,124 dwt ship is part of the Combi-Lift fleet of Harren+Partner Reederei GmbH of Bremen, Germany. The fleet consists of a variety of ships that include specialist heavy lift, oversize and floating cargoes.
See Harren-partner.de/en
The heavy lift business has its own web site at http://www.combi-lift.net/home.html

Palmerton carries pontoons which can be floated alongside the ship as counterweights while lifting heavy cargoes.They are the gray painted objects stowed aft athwart the funnel.

Trucks started to take the pipe off to the finishing plant in Dartmouth even before the ship sailed. It arrived yesterday following a heavy snow fall, but the pier was cleared off for laying out the pipe and unloading went swiftly.